Year: 2015

How beautiful! The streets were crowded with stalls full of colorful lanterns—small, medium and large. Some had wires to hang from trees. Others had dowels for children to hold. Some of the lanterns were the usual round shapes, most were forms of boats, rabbits, frogs, lobsters or bright orange and yellow carp. Others were magical …

Theater Bombing Fifty-two years ago on September 23, 1963, I sat in the Capital Kinh-Do Theater with 200 Americans to see the Disney cartoon film, The Lady and the Tramp. We were in one of the two American theaters in Saigon. The Kinh-Do was newly built for the comfort of U.S. military and their dependents …

I’ve been working on a Masters degree in publishing my narrative nonfiction coming of age memoir. Not a university degree. It’s more of curriculum vitae outlining experiences catalogued to produce a successful book. These are many. I’ve worked with editors and Beta readers. I’ve watched webinar classes produced by Writer’s Digest, attended conferences and workshops, …

The following was published in matadornetwork.com and I have added a few words to Spike’s terrific list. How to Piss Off a Military Brat—C-M “Spike” Daeley June 11, 2015 Salute us. Ha ha, no seriously, you’re definitely the first person ever to think of it. You should totally do stand-up. I mean it! How are …

Military brats know about socialized medicine because for most of us life begins in a military hospital under the care of military doctors and personnel. I never had a civilian doctor until I married in 1970. I never had a family doctor who treated my childhood illnesses. I had shot records my mother kept safe …

Military Brats are always waiting for reassignment orders. We are at the mercy of the Defense Department This creates interesting problems especially with schools. I rarely attended the same school year after year. Teachers never got to know me. Friends were for the moment. Memories made in passing.

I’m a military brat and proud of it. My father was in the Army for 25 years. He enlisted in 1943. I was born at Fort Monmouth, baptized at Fort Meade. I lived at Pearl Harbor and Schofield Barracks on Hawaii. When others read about the scars of war left by the Japanese attack 7 …